Office Coffee Services

2020 has been a whirlwind with a lot of changes. Thankfully, the coffee industry continues to deliver a variety of delicious beverages that can help create a moment of peace and enjoyment for New York City employees. Let’s take a look at five coffee trends that will boost any break room experience.

Specialty Coffee

Roasters big and small have continued to help grow this trend. They offer special or premium brands and products that deliver a unique experience to their customers. So, what makes specialty coffee special? According to the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), specialty coffee is “defined by the quality of the product, whether green bean, roasted bean or prepared beverage and by the quality of life that coffee can deliver to all of those involved in its cultivation, preparation and degustation. [It is] a coffee that delivers satisfaction on all counts and adds value to the lives and livelihoods of all involved.”

Cold Brew

While this refreshing cold beverage has been around for about five years, it’s not going anywhere any time soon. In fact, 80 percent of industry leaders surveyed as part of research performed by the Allegra World Coffee Portal USA found that cold brew was the fastest growing beverage in coffee shops. Whether enjoyed on its own or as part of a coffee drink, it’s now considered a must on any menu.

Sustainability

As with many other snacks and beverages, consumers want to know more about the origin of their coffee. Where did the beans come from, who grew the beans, and how were the beans roasted? But sustainability isn’t only about the beans. It’s also about the other products that are used to enjoy one’s favorite caffeinated beverage. Can a reusable mug be used? What about the straws? Are the paper supplies made from recycled products or are they compostable?

Non-Dairy Alternatives

Traditional non-dairy options like almond milk continue to be very popular. However, there is a new option that has made a bit splash―oat milk. According to a Café Pulse report, sales of oat milk have jumped by a whopping 425 percent since 2017. A great alternative to nut milks, oat milk is made from steel-cut oats that have been soaked in water, blended, and strained through a cheesecloth. Like raw oats, the dairy-free beverage offers some fiber, protein, and important vitamins.

Decaffeinated Options

Lastly, let’s not forget about the decaf. This may be a bit surprising, but 2020 has seen multiple roasters add decaf to their offerings. The quality of many decaf options has vastly improved recently as consumer demand for the beverage increased. Millennials and Gen Z, especially, have contributed to the shift as they look to decrease the amount of caffeine they are ingesting.

Whether you’d like to add all these trends or just a couple to your New York City break room, Marché can help. We offer full-service OCS as well as vending and micro-market services that can be customized to fit your unique break room needs. For more information about all our refreshment options, please call us at 833-627-2431.

It looks like it’s true—coffee may indeed help promote weight loss for New York City individuals. In addition to decreasing the risk of developing a number of diseases including type-2 diabetes and heart disease, the caffeine found in coffee has been shown to help promote weight loss in several different ways.

1. In one study, caffeine was shown to increase the body’s metabolic rate to a certain point which triggered a specific type of tissue in the collarbone area to burn calories.
2. Caffeine has also been found to block adenosine, a neurotransmitter that relaxes the brain and causes tiredness. By blocking adenosine, the caffeine creates a different reaction that causes an increase in dopamine and norepinephrine in the brain. The result is that individuals feel more energized, awake, alert and focused. 
3. The third and most recent study found that participants who consumed four cups of coffee per day had a four percent decrease in body fat. Unlike the previous two studies that show how caffeine impacts the body, this study gave specific amounts of coffee consumed and body fat lost. (One note of caution—it may not be healthy for everyone to drink four cups of coffee every day.)

While understanding that the caffeine in coffee can help with weight loss is interesting, coffee has a much more important role to play right now. Providing office coffee service (OCS) in New York City break rooms is a valuable benefit that can help keep essential employees on-site during their workday. Convenient access to hot caffeinated beverages also creates small opportunities for moments of relaxation and supportive interactions among colleagues. 

In 2020, OCS is about more than the traditional brewer, although that is still a popular option in many New York City break rooms. Single-cup brewers and other types of commercial brewers including those that prepare single espresso-based beverages enable all employees to safely choose from a variety of popular and sustainably grown brands without leaving the building. For those individuals who don’t like coffee, offering a variety of black, green and herbal teas is a must.

And don’t forget to include fresh food, cold beverages and healthy snacks on the break room refreshment menu. With longer workdays and the extra stress essential employees are facing, employers can help by removing one necessary task from their employees’ to-do list; remembering to prepare and bring food and beverages to work every day. A break room full of delicious options is a benefit that all employees can appreciate.

Marché would like to make sure that your New York City employees have the fresh food, snacks and caffeinated beverages that they need. For more information about our current offerings, please call us at 833-627-2431. 

We’re excited to share the news with New York City coffee drinkers about another study that has shown health benefits from drinking a daily cup of brew. Researchers including Dr. Michiyo Yamakawa of Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan found that drinking one cup of coffee per day was associated with a 16 percent lower risk of death. Bump the numbers up to two to three cups per day, and those participants had a 19 percent lower chance of mortality.

Whether it’s the caffeine or the antioxidants and other compounds in the beans, coffee offers several additional benefits to New York City employees. The following are a few of the health benefits that research has found.

Reduced risk for type-2 diabetes and heart disease

Four cups of coffee. According to researchers in Duesseldorf, Germany that’s all the caffeine it takes to trigger a protective effect in the human heart. The domino effect caused by caffeine consumption ends with the protection and repair of the heart muscle. 

Reduced risk for different types of cancer  

The International Agency for Research on Cancer determined that coffee can no longer be classified as a carcinogen. In fact, researchers determined that coffee intake was associated with a reduced risk of oral, pharynx, liver, colon, prostate, melanoma and endometrial cancers. 

Reduced pain sensitivity for chronic pain sufferers

Scientists from Boston Children’s Hospital found that consuming caffeine may help decrease pain sensitivity in those with chronic pain. The consumed caffeine caused dopamine, a carrier of messages between nerve cells in the brain, to flood the brain’s pleasure center resulting in decreased pain sensitivity.

Fighting Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.

Proteins found in roasted coffee beans were found to help protect the nervous system, which in turn may help the brain fight Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The longer the beans were roasted, the more proteins were produced. It didn’t matter if the beans were regular or de-caffeinated; if the beans were dark roasted, the results were similar.  

Improved memory, a short-term mental boost and better group performance

Caffeine has been found to provide a mental boost for 45 minutes after consuming it and to improve memory over the next 24 hours. Research by the Graduate School of Management at UC, Davis also found that caffeine has a positive impact on a group’s performance. 

So, whether it’s caffeinated or decaffeinated coffee or tea, every New York City employer can benefit from offering a customized office coffee service (OCS) in the break room. Marché offers a wide selection of OCS menu options and equipment from different types of brewers to Fair Trade or local varieties as well as healthy snacks, cold beverages and fresh food. For more information or to upgrade your current break room OCS or refreshment menu, please contact us at 833-627-2431. 

Americans love coffee. But when it comes to the rest of the world, tea ranks as the top choice. While black teas are often preferred over green teas throughout the world, there are still many delicious green tea options available.

Green tea as well as black and oolong all come from the same plant, the Camellia sinensis. Growing times and methods, processing methods (steaming, roasting, drying, etc.) and place of origin all play a role in the creation of the final product. Of the different types of tea, green tea is picked the earliest and undergoes the least amount of processing resulting in a beverage that goes well with many other flavors.

Before brewing a cup of green tea, New York City employees should think about four things: water, temperature, leaf portion and steep time. 

The quality of the water used to brew tea plays a big role in the taste of the final product. Filtered water is the best option as the impurities are removed before the water touches the leaves. When it comes to the temperature of the water, using water that has come to the boiling point is okay, but it’s also okay to use water at around 160 to 170 degrees Fahrenheit. In fact, cooler water results in a sweeter, lighter tea.

Many New York City employees use tea bags instead of loose leaves at work, but it is important to know, if using loose leaves, that a bigger portion of leaves will result in a stronger beverage. The strength of the beverage is also affected by the amount of time the leaves or tea bag are left in the water, the longer the steeping time, the stronger the flavor. 

RAVE Reviews, a resource for independent recommendations, recently published a Top 10 list highlighting the best green teas. The following factors, in descending order of importance, were used to rank the teas: overall quality, taste, packaging and price. Here are their top five choices including three special awards, Best Overall, Most Exotic and Best for Everyday Drinking.

Best Overall and #1: The Tao of Tea Jasmine Pearls Green Tea from Portland, Oregon is both affordable and presentable with the ideal balance of green flavor and floral jasmine aroma.

• Quality: 100% 
• Taste: 100% 
• Packaging: 100%
• Value: 100%

Most Exotic and #2:  Marukyu Koyamaen Premium Ceremonial Grade Matcha is from Kyoto, Japan. A ceremonial tea, this nutritious and grassy-flavored beverage is made from the entire leaf, which has been ground into a fine powder. This Matcha is the priciest and most ancient option.

• Quality: 100%
• Taste: 100%
• Packaging: 100%
• Value: 85%

#3: Babingtons In Tè Veritas from Rome, Italy is an elegant beverage best served at small social gatherings where English afternoon tea traditions would be most appreciated.

• Quality: 100%
• Taste: 100%
• Packaging: 100%
• Value: 79%

#4: Rishi Sencha Green Tea from Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a high-quality Sencha. This beverage is an opaque, dark green savory brew with a sticky aroma

• Quality: 100%
• Taste: 100%
• Packaging: 85%
• Value: 85%

Best for Everyday Drinking and #5: The Republic of Tea People’s Green Tea from Novato, California is affordable, a quality beverage and, best of all, can be found everywhere. 

• Quality: 80%
• Taste: 90%
• Packaging: 95%
• Value: 100%

Which teas do your New York City employees ask for in the office break room? 

Marché is here to help your organization create a customized refreshment menu that includes a wide variety of coffees and teas as well as fresh food, snacks and beverages. Access to delicious and refreshing options at work encourages New York City employees to stay on-site for a quick break or a meal with colleagues. For more information about updating your current menu or redesigning your entire break room, please give us a call at 833-627-2431.

It’s no secret that coffee plays a big role in many New York City individuals’ daily routines. But the draw to one’s daily boost of caffeine may not just be a habit or the need for a pick-me-up. Recent research performed at the University of Portsmouth in England found that coffee drinkers can recognize the odor of small amounts and can do it faster than non-coffee drinkers.

Dr Lorenzo Stafford, lead researcher and olfactory expert, explained that the more caffeine an individual consumed, the faster that individual recognized the smell of coffee. The researchers also found that consumers who regularly ingested higher amounts of caffeine could smell an extremely diluted coffee solution at lower concentrations when compared to other participants. As cravings increased for these individuals, so did their ability. 

Enjoying a cup of coffee really is a multi-sensory experience. Given how much there is still to learn about our favorite cup of Joe, let’s look at eight interesting and random facts.

• A third of all the tap water Americans drink is first brewed into coffee. Now this is a really good reason to offer filtered water to New York City employees in their break room.
• Coffee, as we know it today, wasn’t enjoyed as a beverage until 1000 CE. Before then, the berries from the Coffea plant were ground together with animal fat to make energy bites.
• Finland drinks the most coffee in the world at 26.5 lbs per inhabitant followed by Norway (21.8 lbs), Iceland (19.8 lbs), Denmark (19.18 lbs) and the Netherlands (18.5 lbs). The United States comes in at number 26.
• Coffee is the world’s second largest traded commodity after crude oil with over 2.25 billion cups of Joe consumed daily. 
• Only the states of Hawaii and now California produce coffee in the United States. Hawaii’s weather matches other parts of the world that are located along the equator.
• Breaking an old record and winning the 2019 Guinness World Record for the largest cup of coffee, the Alcaldía Municipal de Chinchiná in Colombia poured 6,007.04 U.S. gallons of Arabic brew into a single cup.
• Today, Beethoven would likely be considered a difficult customer at his local cafe. The story goes that each cup of brew that he enjoyed had to be made with exactly 60 beans; no more, no less.
• The final fact is an unusual one. A cat named Crème Puff holds the title for “the oldest cat ever” at age 38 years and three days old. It wouldn’t be so odd except Crème Puff enjoyed coffee, bacon, eggs and broccoli every morning and took the record from Grandpa Rex Allen (age 34). The two cats were owned by the same individual and were fed identical diets.

As the new year approaches, we’d like to make one prediction about what employers could offer in their New York City break room to keep coffee lovers happy. Our list would include a variety of delicious options including espresso-based drinks; a full selection of supplies including dairy and non-dairy creamers and sweeteners; and a variety of hot teas for the tea lover.

For more information about upgrading your current office coffee service, customizing a new one or adding healthy and delicious options to your break room subsidized micro-market, please call Marché at 833-627-2431.

Today’s tea market is experiencing exciting changes. Innovative new beverages with a variety of unique ingredients have found their way to New York City consumers. Rather than seeing tea and other similar beverages as separate from all the different foods individuals eat, those beverages are now being measured by the same standards. 

A white paper recently published by the World Tea Expo examined several industry issues that are projected to impact the future of the industry. According to the document, New York City consumers want the following:

• convenience: hot and cold options, easy to consume on the go, anytime and anywhere
• nutrient density and health potential: organic farming, regenerative agriculture and zero waste
• consciousness: supporting a system that that has a positive impact; sustainability and Fair Trade
• ingredients: no sugar, organic, nutritious and functional

While all these characteristics are important, functional ingredients stand out as a smart way to combine the enjoyment of drinking tea with positive health benefits such as an increase in energy or relaxation. 

With at least 80 percent of Americans experiencing stress daily and struggling to relax their bodies and calm their minds, the chance of illnesses occurring increases. But a reduction in stress can help combat many of them including heart disease, high blood pressure, chronic pain and poor sleep. 

Relaxing with a cup of tea can reduce stress on its own, but when it’s combined with practicing mindfulness, the health benefits grow to include a reduction in stress and anxiety, improved attention and memory and better self-regulation and empathy. 

What exactly is mindfulness? It’s the ability to be fully present or being aware of what’s going on without becoming overwhelmed. A different way to look at it is noticing all one’s thoughts and emotions without making judgments about them. 

Incorporating mindfulness opportunities into the workday is beneficial for both employees and employers. New York City employees who are healthier and have less stress not only develop better connections with others including their colleagues but are also more productive. 

To increase the likelihood that employees can practice mindfulness (and enjoy hot beverages), employers need to step up and provide a variety of relaxing environments from quiet corners to break rooms with comfortable seating options. Healthy snacks and fresh food in the break room will also help employees manage their health. 

As the 2019 ends and 2020 approaches, how will your organization help employees reduce stress, improve their diet and find small moments to practice mindfulness? We here to help design a break room that encourages mindfulness and to create a customized refreshment menu with everyone’s favorite choices. For more information about our other break room services, please contact Marché at 833-627-2431.